Email and Ethics: Messages on Blackberries - Essay Example

One reason why employees should avoid sending personal emails from their work computers is that it is unethical. However, the availability of free internet and free time at work is a great temptation to many workers. According to Schulman, electronic communication exposes the company to lost productivity and breached security and thus the need for employers to monitor their employee's emails, (Schulman, web). After sending and deleting personal emails, employees think that they are safe and cannot be discovered. Employers have the right to access their employee’s emails and put up backups, which can retrieve such emails even when deleted. According to Jennings, “Courts have ruled that email messages belong not to the employee but to the employer and are discoverable in litigation whereupon they must be turned to the opposing party”, (Jennings, 2009, Pg. 180). This means that employees do not own the emails at their workplace, and they can be sued for using them to pass personal messages.

Blackberries are personal properties, which are owned by individuals. Such individuals have the right to use their property and they can, therefore, send personal emails to their friends. However, the same kind of care is necessary since it is unethical to send messages via any platform using the employer’s time.